Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-11-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the HERALD.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 1887.
One OF the most notable charac.
tiers that can be seen nearly every
day upon the beautiful drive to the
Soldiers Home, is the historian
Bancroft He is nearly ninety
years Of age, but can ride his horse
as gracefully as dashing Briga.
dier. Every day he devotes Ger
tain hours to labor on his exhaust.
ing history Of the United States,
and then mounts his horse and
with his valet "A few rods in the
rear, goes flying into the country
for recreation. There is something
remarkable in his personal appear
ance. Tall and straight, long
wi ite hair hanging to his shOul.
ders, thin face with fall beard, and
head covered with an ordinary
cloth cap with an unusually large
vizor All take delight in doing
him honor, and point with pride
to the great literary achievements
of the grand Old American.
never knew until the other day
how they tested concrete fOunda-
tons, and was greatly interested
in the experiment | witnessed az
tine new Congressional Library site.
YOn know that Is TO be an immense
structure. and must have a good
foundation. They will use there
over 10000 barrels Of cement. The
ground on which the concrete is
laid is required to stand pressure
of two and halt tons to the square
foot. Now, in making these tests,
the process is this: Four short
iron pillars are placed on the ground
about four feet apart. These are
exactly one foot square at the bot
tom, aud resting on these are two
iron rods about a foot in height, on
which is a fiat car loaded with thir-
ty tons OF pig lead, and this weight
being equally divided between the
four square foot covered by the
IRON pillars, solves the problem
Everything used in this building
will be subjected to tile severesl
test and when completed will be
the finest structure on this cont
nent, if not the wide world.
Several weeks ago alluded to
the bitter feeling existing in the
Interior Department regarding
Land Commissioner Sparks, and
predicted his resignation or dis
mlssal. The quarrel has reached
the eliminating point, and Score
tary Lamar says in long letter
that either himself or Sparks mus
90. 1t will be Sparks. The Post
the Administration organ here
says: SHE is probably the most
unpopular official in the Govern
ment, title which he has earned
by strict attention to the business
of making himself unpopular" y
which is just what the Republicans
have claimed. Ills dismissal viii
rejoice thousands OF The homes
land settlers of the great West
who have been most shamefullN
outraged by his unjust decisions
and unwise interference. lie
Sparks 20 back to the shades, h'
never should have been dug mp.
Congress sometimes makes thu
most egregious blunders. Las
winter they passed San act to re
strict the ownership Of real estate
IN the Territories to American citi
zens,r and have just discovered
that in the body of the act thu
District OF Columbia is also includ
ed. This will preclude even foreign
legations from owning more rea
estate in Washington, which Ger
tainly was never intended unless
by the crafty politician who drew
the bill. Several COngressner
have been interviewed, who express
their entire ignorance OF such legis
lation until shown the act, which
of course will be speedily amended
But then it shows how careless
even our law makers are.
The Department of Agriculture
has gathered some very instructive
and suggestive statistics. There
was planted this year 73,OOO,OOC
acres of corn, which gave an aver
age yield of twenty bushels to The
acre. The potato crop averages
fifty-fOnr bushels to the acre, anC
the yield aggregates 13i,OOO,OOI
bushels, 30,OO0,OO0 less than las
year. Other figures are beng tab
ulated at the Department, and vii
he itemized in subsequent letters.
All concede that the late cleo
tons settle beyond question thu
denomination Of President Cleve
land, but how it will effect the
second on the ticket is not quite
so clear. Gen. Blacks boom has
pretty much subsidized. That o.
Gen. Villas is looking up little
Southern men say they do not ash
for or want it, and are willing il
should go to the West, but want
no soldier. An Indiana civilian
stands the best chance, and the
one most likely to carry that state
! will tvin fhn nrizn